Internal-combustion engine



W. A. LEITCH.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1919.

Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

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W. A. LEITCH INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19,4919.

Patented Man. 23, 1920.

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W. A. LESTCH.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGENE.

APPLICATION l-H.ED JUNE 19.1919.

4% 1 9m Patented Mm. 1920.

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III/l MTMWMWWWWWWWWWWM l w x mum STATES PATENT or WILLIAM". ALEXANDERLEITCH, 0F SAFJLES, NORTH DAKUTA- rnrnannn-comnusrron Enema.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known thatI, Winner/r xnnnnn Lnrrcn, a citizen of the United saes, residing at Sarles, in the county of Cavalier ahd State of NorthDakota, have invented oertain new and useful Improvements inInterrial-Combustion Engines; and I do declare the following to beafull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willonable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines ofthe type in which two pistons slide-onewithin the other in the Cylinder,said cylinder; forced fromithe latter into the gas beihg drawn into thespace between the two piston heads, compressed'by the movement of suchheads, and then fired to drive said pistons in opposite directions andimpart both a pushing-and pulling rotary action on the crank shaft.

One object of my invention improve and simplify engines of the abovedescribed type, and in carrying outthis end, further objects are toprovide a novel means for controlling the travel of the volatile gasesto the cylinders and from the latter into the hollow piston,

With the foregomg in view, the invention resides in the novelrangem'ents of parts hereinafter fully dcscribed and claimed, thedescriptive matter being supplemented by the accompanying drawings. 7

Flgure 1. 18 a side elevation of an engine constructed n accordance withmy inven- 1 tion, parts being broken away and in section.

Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical transverse sections on the planes indicatedby the lines 2-2 and 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a central vertical longitudinal section.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section of one of the spark plugs and associatedparts.

The engine may of course be constructed with any number of cylinders butfor illustrative purposes I have disclosed two which are indicatedv inthe drawings by the .numerals 1, said. cylinders preferably having waterjackets 2 although other preferred cooling means could be employed. ,Ihecylinders 1 rise from an appropriate crank case 8 carrying shaft 5, andthree cranksare provided. on said shaft below each cylinder. vEach setSpecification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar, [29%, Application filed'June 19, 1919. Serial. lilo; 305,367.

is to generally copstruction and er bearings 4 for the crank of threecranlrs comprises two cranlrs 6 on tending in the same direction fromthe cen ter of the shaft, While the third crank 7 pro ects in rods 8!rise from the cranks 6 and are pivoted to the lower end of hollowpistonsfl which slide within the cylinders 11, while other connectingrods 10 extend between the cranks 7 and pistons 11 which are slidable inthe hollow pistons 9. The crank '3 of one set "is opposed to thecorresponding crash of the other set and consequently the action ofthetwo cylinders will never j e the same at any point throughout therevolution, thereby equalizing power and preventing vibration.

- The engine is of the two-cycletype, in which the incoming gasesdischarge thee haust gases into an exhaust manifold 12. Ports 13 lead tothis manifold through the cylinder walls, and ports 14: in the hollowpistons 9 are-adapted for registration with said ports 13 at the endofeach power stroke as seen in Fig. 2, and simultaneously with thisaction, an intake port 15 in the piston 9, at a point opposite theexhaust port 14;, communicates with a fuel passage 16 formedlongitudinally of the cylinder. Wheat-his relation occurs, the piston 9is at apps-nail mately the limit of its upward movement so that the gaspreviously drawn into the upper end of the cylinder is forced down y theports 16 andat its center is provided with a cylindrical valve casing 18withone side of whi h a carburetor 19 communicates,

the opposite direction. Connecting andi'n said casing 18 is a rotaryvalve 20 driven by any preferred connections (not shown). It. is theoffice of the valve ill) to 1 place the manifold in communication withthe carburetor on the intakestrokcs of the pistons 9 and to cut off suchcommunication when said pistons ascend as seen in, Fig. 2, therebypreventing escape of the gases drawn into the cylinder, with the resultthat they must be forced down the passages 16 into the hollow pistons 9for compression. 'l'lrxis any I lltl ' compression takes the place whenthe two pis- 1ons 11 and 9 move toward each other as -shown at the righthand end of Fig. 4.

Ignition then takes place by a novel means escribed below so that thetwo pistons are driviiin opposite directions to exert turning force onopposite sides of the crank shaft.

ists of a. spark plug formed of an inner section 25 and an outer section26, carried respectively by the piston 9 and the cylinder 1, thearrangement being such as to bring two sections of the plug in operativeengagen'ient when compression is complete, I

whereby the spark will be snapped between the electrodes 27 and 28 withwhich the inner section 25 is provided, and the compressedcharge in thepiston 9 is thus fired. The sections 25 and 26 are each provided with ametal shell 29 in contact with the parts carrying them, and since theignition circuit is grounded on the engine in any preferred manner theywill receive electrical energy therefrom. lVithin the shells'29,insulators 30 are secured by ring nuts or otherpreferred means 31, theinsulator of the inner section 25 carrying the central electrode 27while the insulator of the outer section is provided with an electrode32. These electrodes 27 and 32 may be provided with spring contacts orthe'like 33 which are adapted to come into engagement as seen in Fig. 5when compression is completed.

' Thus, when the ignition circuit is Completed by the usual timer (notshown) the current will flow through the electrode 32, the contacts 33,and the electrode 27, will jump the gap between-this electrode and thegrounded electrode 28 and will return in the usual way through theengine base or the like.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,it willfbe seen that I have provided an engine of extremely sinr lenature, yet one which will be highly e cient and reliable, and in everyway desirable. Particular emphasi" is laid upon the novel spark plug forfiring the charge in the hollow moving piston 9, and upon the rotaryvalve 20 for preventing return of gas through the manifold 17, therebyforcing such gas to travel through the passage 16 into the piston 9.These features constitute important advances in the art and excellentresults are obtainable thereby.

Since probably the most advantageous details have been shown, they maywell be followed, but within the scope of the invention as claimed,considerable latitude is allowed for making numerous minor changes.

I claim:

An internal combustion engine comprising a pair of parallel cylinders, ahollow piston in each cylinder, another piston in each hollow piston,cranks and connecting rods for moving the two pistons of each cylinderoppositely, a fuel passage extending along each cylinder andcomnumicating with both the upper and lower ends thereof, an intake portin each hollow piston for registration with the lower end of said fuelpassage.

when said piston reaches the limit of its upward movement and an intakemanifold communicating at its ends with both fuel passages and having acylindrical valve casing at its center, a carburetor communicating withsaid casing, a rotary valve in said casing for placing said carbureterin communication with the intake manifold when each hollow piston moveson. its descending intake stroke, and for thereafter cutting off sucheon'm'iunication, causing the ascent of the hollow piston to force thegas from the cylinder into said hollow piston by way of the fuel passageand intake port, means for exhausting the burnt gases from the hollowpiston when the fresh gas is forced into them, and means for ignitingthe (JOll'lPl'OSSOd gas when the two pistons move toward each other.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM ALEXANDER Llll'lCll. Witnesses:

- H. A. Ganusrmw, D. W. TRUSKO.

